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Ludovica Casellati Managing Editor E-book Milan on Bike Concept and Design Ludovica Casellati Editorial Coordination Marialuisa Bonivento Project Database Giordano Roverato Authors and Photographers Marialuisa Bonivento itinerary: Gianfranco Rocculi itinerary: Giordano Roverato itinerary: Alessandro Avalli itinerary: Maps Editor Luca Marin Graphic Design Alberto Fardin Dealership Ads Green Life srl e Clear Channel Copyright Green Life srl All rights to this work are reserved under current law. All rights to the databases are reserved. The translation, adaptation, processing or reproduction by whatever means (including electronic retrieval systems), whether total or partial, of the material contained in this site are reserved for all countries. The reproduction, publication and distribution, total or partial, of the material contained in this site, including the framing, analogue reproduction and, in general, the digital storage are expressly prohibited without written permission. 4 INDICE pag 05 pag 27 pag 52 pag 72 pag 87 pag 105 5 INDEX Crystal Milan The Crystal Milan runs the new districts of recent construction that put Milan ahead together with the big world capital cities. The bicycle route to discover the futuristic contemporary skyscrapers starts at the Pirelli skyscraper and winds along the new Milan until the Palazzo Lombardia skyscraper through places that will make you ride with your head upwards. 5 km DOWNLOAD GPS TRACK 8 Crystal Milan A bit of history Milan is found at the centre of rising in the name of technological the Po Valley and surrounded achievements, such as the electric by mountains that are perceived elevator and the introduction within nearby distance during clear of structures with steel beams windy days. and columns, instead, in Milan, excluding some non-residential Milan was for centuries a horizontal structure, such as church towers, city with the imposing whitening of urban development was privileged the Duomo as the only reference in width and horizontal lines, such for its height. The placement of the as in the projects of Luigi Broggi: “Madonnina” on the highest spire for example, the former Stock dates back to 1774. Exchange Building, now Post The 108,50 meters height was Office in Cordusio Square and the a limit that no one would had Italian Credit Palace in the nearby ever thought to cross for a long Tommaso Grossi Street. time. Just over a century later, while in the “Loop” of the city of Chicago, destroyed by a terrible fire, the first “skyscrapers” were 9 Crystal Milan Still in the early ‘900, in fact, the building code in Milan, appreciated by traditionalists, prescribed a maximum height of 28 meters. Only in 1923, in Piemonte Square, in a scenic location right near Washington Street, the prescribed limit was waived due to the vastness of the square and side streets, bringing the height of the two ten-floor-twin buildings to 38 meters. These buildings were rough, decidedly bourgeois in taste and between the eclectic and decò styles. It was, however, an isolated phenomenon that had a following ten years later with the construction of the Parco Tower or Littoria, today Branca, a structural skeleton built in just 68 working days with Dalmine steel tubes. Inaugurated at the Fifth “Triennale” and therefore erected with panorama and celebratory functions, this resounding land- mark, in fact, tops 108,60 meters, 10 meters more than the “Madonnina”. Nowadays this is still the highest panoramic point accessible to the public. Palazzo del Comune 10 Crystal Milan In the following years, many American style Pirelli skyscraper “towers” would rise in the centre (1955-60), that, in the diaphanous of Milan, always characterised transparency of the curtain wall, by the fullness of the building’s is in closed form, isolated from façade but much higher than the the context and resolved in itself. surrounding buildings. It is from this building that we will begin our bike journey to discover From Rasini Tower (1933-34) the futuristic and contemporary to Porta Venezia, Snia Viscosa skyscrapers, which we will Tower (1935-37) in Corso continue to call “Towers” almost to Matteotti, Locatelli Tower (1936- contextualise their impact. 39) in Repubblica Square, the discussed New Medieval Velasca Tower, a masterpiece of 1958, which, as Rogers would say, takes into account the pre-existing environment and the different historical finds in the area, in a subtle play of allusions. In stark contrast appears the Milan Skyline 12 Crystal Milan Following the new bike lanes and not only of futuristic meeting that have found their paths in a places for young and old people. natural way -- almost predestined, The new “skyscrapers”, which not only ideally, to connect are many more in number than architectures and ways of life -- in London, are located in central you see the City sliding in front areas and not in compounds such of you, with the feeling that its as La Défence in Paris or Eur in modernity is not raised haughtily, Rome. but in all its humanity, with the loving relationship typical of a The effect is that they give the village. impression of being ubiquitous in the City skyline, towering in The new “Towers” are not just the distance with their typical about business, in fact, but people silhouettes, from building to building, live and take possession, once often with studied symmetries. cranes, scaffolding, excavations Following the proposed route, and shovels give way to gardens it is fun to take small personal and public spaces, first with digressions to discover and perplexity, almost afraid, then with acquire interesting views, to then undisguised pride. The squares go back to the original road. acquire the ancient role of agorà 13 Crystal Milan We start from a Vertical Fairy Tale The cycle path coming from the “A vertical fairy tale”, Biancardi Central Station, carrying along wrote in his novel “The bitter Vittor Pisani Street, grazes on the life.” With its 127-meters height, right “Il Pirellone” (The Pirelli Tower). the building actually appeared higher than the “Madonnina” and It is also known as the “slender to preserve the tradition that building” that housed for years somehow did not want to exceed the Lombardy Region, which such height, a miniature copy of deservedly carved out its role as a the great golden Madonnina statue noble father to Milan skyscrapers. was placed on top in secret. Destroyed by bombing and built between 1955 and 1960, on A creative Italian-style solution that the ashes of the historical Pirelli made everybody happy and the factories, it takes, among others, problem was well overcome. the unmistakable signature of Gio Ponti, who wanted in his project to give value to the intangible perfection of the crystal structure. 14 Crystal Milan Before continuing on to Vittor Pisani Street it is worth taking a look to the Galfa Tower, which owes its enigmatic name to the acronym of the two streets that border it, Galvani and Fara. Shortly after its amiantus removal, widely used at the time in that type of buildings, the skyscraper was “occupied” by political protests that advocated a ready use. Continuing along the path that runs along the wide Pisani Street with its high arches, you will get to the Republica Square, between two imposing towers, almost signs of recognition and welcome, on the left, the 31-story Breda Tower built in 1954 and on the right, the 18-story Locatelli Tower built in 1939. Between the two, there is a difference of nearly 50 meters that you can clearly see continuing the path and turning to look at the towers from far in perspective. Locatelli and Breda Towers 15 Crystal Milan Towards the “Diamantone” From Repubblica Square, following Solaria Tower the path that bends to the right, we first take Ferdinando di Savoia Avenue and then Liberazione Avenue. Here, where only a few years ago there were large empty and broken areas, partially occupied by the “Varesine Lunapark”, now two skyscrapers appear, built at the respective ends of the site between Gioia Street and Galilei Street, the Solaria Arquitectonica Tower and the Varesine B Tower by Lee Polisano and Kohn Pedersen & Fox, affectionately nicknamed “Diamantone”, due to the faceted shape and its irregular geometry with perimeter columns inclined from the vertical line in a game of oblique lines. As the highest steel construction in Italy, it enjoys a more uniform façade and minor defects such as undulations, just to name the most obvious, and presents laminated glass instead of the traditional ones that were thermal tempered. Diamantini and Varesine B Tower 16 Crystal Milan Moreover, as a building Diamantone constructed according to principles of environmental sustainability, it is LEED GOLD certified, one of the highest levels recognised by the Green Building Council. It consists of 30 floors plus four undergrounds, it is correlated by a series of low bodies of 9 floors, also known as “diamantini” (little diamonds), all for office use. Residential instead is the Solaria, the tallest building in Italy in its category as one of its three wings reaches 143 meters. Altogether it hosts 102 apartments, some on two or three floors, with swimming pools or hot tubs. The progressive transparency of the glass etched in the parapets was designed to allow at the same time privacy and views of the landscape. As an “extreme” luxury building, “multipurpose” areas have been co-housed, such as a home theatre with large screen, room for meetings, play areas for children, areas for yoga practice, party room, library and also a billiard table. Diamantini 17 Crystal Milan Samsung district meetings and promoter of events targeted at citizens, businesses and institutions. Open to the public and with independent access from the offices, it is really worth a visit, there is one showroom where all visitors have the opportunity to experience the Smart Home through the best In a place where technologies and touch with hands you can breathe the the Samsung ecosystem.

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